Memory Tips for a Younger Brain

This article provides a comprehensive list of many of the memory tips for a younger brain and a sharper mind that you’ve read about in other posts on this blog.

Memory Tips for a Younger Brain

Each week, choose 1 of the memory tips for a younger brain and add it to your routine.

Protect your brain.

· Avoid toxic substances like alcohol, drugs, nicotine, too much caffeine, toxic fumes and many medications—pain and anxiety are not good for your brain.

· Avoid bottled water. In a study by the Environmental Working Group, 28 toxic pollutants, including fertilizer residue, pharmaceutical drugs, fuel propellants, heavy metals and byproducts of chlorine-based disinfection, were detected in the bottled water that was tested.

· Reduce or eliminate red meat and sugar. A study published in the journal Stroke suggests that a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids (found in red meat) is associated with impairment of cognitive function in men age 69 to 89. Additional studies show that red meat is linked to amyloid neuro-fiber tangle build-up, which is believed to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

· Avoid trans fats, which are found in fried foods, snack foods and bakery goods.

· Avoid all chemical sweeteners, like aspartame, which has been linked to memory loss.

· Avoid soda. Sodas can leach minerals from the body and generate free radicals, which can damage the brain.

· Avoid food additives such as MSG, which has been linked to cognitive decline.

Feed your brain.

· Drink plenty of purified water. The brain is 80 percent water and needs lots of water, as do all cells in the body.

· Eat antioxidant-rich foods. Studies published in The Journal of the American Medical Association show that people who had highest intakes of vitamin C- and E-rich foods were the least likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

· Eat tryptophan-rich foods like turkey and avocados. A study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry shows that tryptophan depletion is linked to cognitive decline and memory loss.